The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has bowed to pressure over the quit notice issued by popular Hotel owner, Euphemie Hotel, with a direct order for the SWAT to quit the Hotel at Opu-Nembe in Nembe Bassambiri community of Nembe Local Government Area of the State.
The order from the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, was issued following the threat to drag him to Court over the alleged unpaid debt incurred by the Police SWAT team deployed from the 12th of August, 2023 till date.
The lodging debt, according to the report, was incurred by the Police Special Squad after it
allegedly invaded the Opu Nembe community and occupied the Euphemie Motel, turning it into their operational base without due permission from the owner.
The SWAT team was allegedly drafted to the area at the request of the Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the governorship flag bearer of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the last election, Chief Timipre Sylva.
The Counsel to the owner of the Euphemie Motel, Inemoye Maxwell Brown in a letter dated 9th of October,2024, confirmed to newsmen in Yenagoa that the Nigerian Police, “as a respectable and responsible establishment has gracefully implemented on the prayer one as contained therein within the time frame provided as the SWAT team vacated our clients’ hotel on the 3rd day of October,2024”
Brown however called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the top echelon of the Nigerian Police to attend, with utmost dispatch to the second prayer in the petition on the payment of the sum of N625,000,000 only covering the above period from 12th August, 2023 to 12th September, 2024 be paid within six weeks upon receipt of the correspondence.
Recall that the popular Hotel owner, Euphemie Motel, had through his prayers informed Egbetokun and the Chairman of, the Police Service Commission, that the 50-bedroom hotel with lodging fee of N25,000 per night and two conference rooms of N100,000 per day with indoor and outdoor relaxation spots, was occupied by the Police personnel without payment for over 13 months.